The Apostle of Allaah ( sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam ) said : The rinsing of mouth and snuffing up water in the nose are acts that bear the characteristics of fitrah (nature). He then narrated a similar tradition (as reported by Aishah), but he did not mention the words "letting the beard grow". He added the words "circumcision" and "sprinkling water on the private part of the body". He did not mention the words "cleansing oneself after easing".
Abu Dawud said : A similar tradition has been reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas. He mentioned only five sunnahs all relating to the head, one of them being parting of the hair; it did not include wearing the beard.
Abu Dawud said: The tradition as reported by Hammad has also been transmitted by Talq b. Habib , Mujahid, and Bakr b. 'Abd Allaah b. al-Muzani as their own statement ( not as a tradition from the Prophet, sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam ).They did not mention the words "letting the beard grow". The version transmitted by Muhammad b. Abd Allaah b. Abi Maryam, Abu Salamah, and Abu Hurairah from the Prophet ( sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam ) mentions the words "letting the beard grow". A similar tradition has been reported by Ibrahim al-Nakha'i. He mentioned the words "wearing the beard and circumcision."
Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah) - Sunan Abi Dawud 54
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Five are from the natural disposition (fitrah): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the mustache, plucking the armpit hair, and trimming the nails."
Commentary on the Variant Narrations
The scholars have reconciled these variant narrations by understanding that the essential acts of fitrah are established, while some narrations mention additional practices. The rinsing of mouth and snuffing water in the nose, though not mentioned in all versions, are confirmed as acts of purification in other authentic traditions.
The mention or omission of "letting the beard grow" in different chains indicates that while growing the beard is a confirmed Sunnah, some narrators focused specifically on purification aspects. Circumcision remains consistently mentioned across most narrations as a fundamental act of fitrah.
Legal Rulings Derived
The acts of fitrah are of varying legal classifications: circumcision is wajib (obligatory) for men according to the majority, while the other acts are emphasized Sunnah practices. The consistency in mentioning circumcision across narrations underscores its importance in Islamic law.
The differences in narration chains demonstrate the meticulous preservation of hadith, where scholars carefully noted even minor variations in wording while maintaining the core meaning of the prophetic teaching.